#240 Parkinson's, My Greatest Golf Shot, and Photos

 #240 Parkinson’s, My Greatest Golf Shot, and Photos

Dramatic skies on our way to the coast.

The bridge at Florence, OR.

A latte and some work time at one of our favorite stops.

One of our favorite stops.

Photos in this post all come from an iPhoto album called Covid Year, May to December 2021, one of the files to which I’ve recently regained access. Any semblance of organization is purely coincidental.

Young Crow

Parkinson’s Information 

The Wearing of Masks

We agree with this sign at a Manzanita coffee shop.

Now that I am up from my latest fall I can continue my discussion by attempting to explain the complex progression of Parkinson’s Disease. Please note that the exact progression or rate of progression varies drastically from patient to patient. Sources for this information include The Parkinson’s Foundation and The Michael J Fox Foundation.

The broom has almost swallowed the asphalt path at South Beach in Florence.

We bought a new Subaru Forester.

 

Parkinson's disease progression is typically measured using the Hoehn and Yahr scale which categorize the disease into five stages based on motor symptoms and functional disability. 

• Stage 1 (Early-Stage): Symptoms (such as tremors or stiffness) are mild and only affect one side of the body. They do not typically interfere with daily activities. 
• Stage 2 (Mild): Symptoms start to affect both sides of the body. Posture and walking may change, but balance remains intact, and the individual remains independent. 
• Stage 3 (Mid-Stage): Balance and movement become noticeably impaired, leading to a higher risk of falls. Daily tasks are slower and take more effort, but individuals can still function relatively independently. 
• Stage 4 (Advanced): Severe symptoms require the use of assistive devices like a walker. Independent living becomes unsafe, as individuals need help with daily tasks. 
• Stage 5 (End-Stage): The individual is confined to a bed or wheelchair and requires 24/7 care. Non-motor symptoms such as confusion or hallucinations may also be present. 

Painted Hills

For more information or to donate to help find a cure for Parkinson’s, check out these sources:

The Davis Phinney Foundation, www.davisphinneyfoundation.org

Michael J Fox Foundation, www.michaeljfox.org

Parkinson’s Foundation, www.parkinson.org

Parkinson’s Voice Project (SPEAK OUT), www.parkinsonvoiceproject.org 

Parkinson's Resources of Oregon, www.parkinsonsresources.org 

Near Sisters, OR

Mitchell, OR

YOUTUBE podcasts I’ve found useful:

Doing Life Today [Brian Perry]

The Secret Life of Parkinson’s

Dr. Luis E Zayas, MD PT

        Parkinson's Disease Education 

My Greatest Golf Shot

Winter Golf

I’ve been playing golf since I was ten years old. I’ve played hundreds of courses in the US, more than 250 in Scotland, more than a hundred in Ireland, about 30 in Wales, and even a few in England and Canada. I’ve played enough golf to have written books about it that still sell on Amazon. I started out playing bad golf and I got better. I’ve scored three holes-in-one (witnessed) in my golfing career. My handicap got as low as 10 (official USGA) and I maintained a handicap below 15 for several years before Parkinson’s disease took away my balance and my golf game went with it. Why with all this history with golf would I call the recent drive I made on the ninth hole at Arrowhead GC (our club in Molalla) the greatest shot I’ve ever made?

Deer at Smith Rocks State Park

It was a couple of Sundays ago that I was playing in my usual Sunday foursome—Anne, Kris, Jackie, and I. I was recovering from my latest fall so I only chipped and putted on most of the first eight holes. But on the ninth I decided to try hitting a full shot. I didn’t have any of my clubs, except a nine=iron and putter, with me so I borrowed Anne’s driver for the shot. I teed the ball up and took one practice swing. When I stepped up to the ball I had to wait a few seconds for my tremors to calm. With my tremors silent I took a full backswing and with a smooth downswing sent the ball straight down the fairway about 180 yards—a distance I hadn’t seen in two years! I remember thinking I had taken a full slow swing, that I’d watched the clubhead strike the ball, that I’d kept my head down though the swing, and that I still had my balance after the swing—none of my usual extra steps to catch my balance and keep from falling. This was my greatest shot because it gave me hope that even with Parkinson’s I may still have some good shots left in me. My 375-yard drive over the eleventh green at the Struie Course at Royal Dornoch was longer and straighter and my swing when I was a 10 handicap was more consistent. But this shot gives me hope.

That's All, Folks!

NEXT: It depends upon what I find.